Mike Tyson may not get a win even if he knocks out Jake Paul on Friday.
Tyson faces a comeback fight that many believe no one will emerge victorious from.
Tyson was told that a victory at the age of 58 was a hollow act in boxing. In fact, Tyson can't win in any way if he smashes Paul or falls unconscious himself.
A former UFC star turned analyst has weighed in on the Tyson debate as Daniel Cormier shared his views on the controversial fight.
Tyson dusts off his professional gloves on November 15th, nineteen years or more since his last outing. Although “Iron” Mike has lost his last two contests by knockout, YouTuber Paul sees Tyson as a financial opportunity to secure some recognition.
However, Cormier joined the many voices who believe that both men are in a no-win situation when it comes to the actual fight. The only upside to the entire Netflix event is money, which is no reason to put together such an antagonist when both men are already millionaires.
On his show “Funky and the Champ,” Cormier spoke about Tyson’s smokescreen training videos and said, “I get that [he looks good at 58]and I understand what he is saying [he feels great].
“I agree if he hits the pads with Rafael Cordeiro. It looks like there's something else in there. But then I watch Jake Paul fight Mike Perry. I watched as Jake Paul was put under so much pressure that he felt uncomfortable. It looked like Mike Perry had a chance. But then Jake has a reserve pool to go to and draw from because he's 28 years old. Then he comes back and finally takes out Mike Perry.
“Early in the fight, Mike Perry gets hit and dropped. He looks unmanned and outgunned. That's my concern because what if this looks like a 58-year-old man fighting a 28-year-old man, with Mike not being able to draw on that reserve tank to stay and compete with this young kid? I think it’s a loss for Jake Paul because when you beat up Mike Tyson, everyone loves Mike Tyson.”
“But what if Mike knocks him out? Then it’s over,” Cormier added. “Everything is done. It would be an absolute failure. If he retires, there will never have been anything like this in the history of the sport.”
Paul has eight two-minute rounds to complete the task, while the consensus is that Tyson only has 30 seconds before he hits hard and struggles to keep up.
The only comparison fight fans have to the Paul vs. Tyson duel is when Evander Holyfield returned to action in 2021 at the same age as Tyson. Against Vitor Belfort, who was twenty years older than Paul at the time, Holyfield only lasted 109 seconds.
Mike is in deep trouble and must extricate himself from the fight or wipe out his opponent to earn praise. The Tyson of yore would dispatch this opponent in a matter of seconds. That's why he has to prove that it's not just about the money.
In the last training, Tyson's muscle mass remained off scale for a man his age. The only issues will be his hit resistance and movement. If Mike can't get around the ring, he'll be picked up at his leisure by a man three decades his junior with a far more powerful engine.
Paul obviously doesn't have anywhere near Tyson's skills. However, even in his 30s, Mike has shown on many occasions that he is prone to poor performance and deviation from the norm.
An audience of millions will watch as his final legacy is decided.
If Paul knocked out Tyson it would be a disaster.
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Read all of Phil Jay's articles and exclusive interviews. Find out more about the authorexperienced boxing writer and editor of World boxing News since 2010. Follow on Twitter @PhilJWBN.